Parasite
by Lightning Scorchborn
Summary: When Duskfeather is haunted by a StarClan prophecy, he does his best to prepare his clan for what's next.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

It is very dark. To dark to see clearly. Duskfeather opens his eyes wider, straining to see anything. This place was unfamiliar, no wind, no chirping of birds, nothing, but the scent of crowfood strong in his nose. A light catches in the corner of his eye. Faint, peering through the leaves and undergrowth which are now visible. Hope rises in Duskfeather's chest as he dashes torwards it, only to trip over a cold damp shape, lost in the shadows.

Rising to his feet, he shakes the dust of his pelt. He pads closer to find out what he tripped over, his paws now wet. _Oh, StarClan_. He thinks in horror. He makes out a cat. A black she-cat, barely visable, lying in a red glistening puddle. Dead. In shock, Duskfeather leaps backwards, only to step on yet another cat. A once white pelt drenched in blood. Suddenly, the shadows are filled with the cries of battle and the moans of dying cats.

Terror strikes Duskfeather, he jerks his head around, fiercely looking for a threat, in fear a cat would pounce on him. The distant light grows brighter, illuminating his surroundings. He feels lost as he swivels around, bodies are everywhere. The foul air leaves Duskfeather's lungs. Shaking his head to clear it, he dashes towards the light, jumping over the young, the old, the small, the strong, all dead, lying in their own blood.

Thorns tug at Duskfeather's black, thick pelt, leaves and branches hit his green eyes. Blood from other cats, slashing up at him plastering his fur to his body. As the light draws closer, Duskfeather's increases his pace, and breaks through undergrowth and explodes into a clearing, brightly lit by the blinding light in the center.

Duskfeather squints at the light, he notices a small black silhouette in the light, a kit. Not dead, but sitting with its tail wrapped around its paws and its head looking at the ground, its shadow cast over Duskfeather. "He-hello?" Duskfeather's voice croaks. The kit does nothing, eyes seem to be closed. As Duskfeather's eyes adjust, the light is less painful to look at. He looks at the kit, who's eyes suddenly open, and the light dims. Its piercing white eyes staring at him intensely. A roaring voice sounds, thundering in Duskfeather's ears, the light behind the kit grows brighter with each word.

_"When all is lost, the tiniest spark can light the way. "_

Duskfeather stares in awe as the light around the kit engulfs into a blaze which surrounds him, he closes his eyes in shock. No pain. He opens them to see the roof of the medicine den.


	2. Chapter 1

9 Moons Later

"Come on, Goosekit!" Spark-kit whispered as she dashed torwards the dirt-place tunnel, the moonlight beating on her black pelt, the swirl pattern on her back is simular to a shadow. The camp was asleep accept for a few aprentices. "I don't know about this." her brother, Goosekit, was reluclently following behind, hugging the camp wall, thistles tugged at his thick gray pelt, causing the bushes to rattle. "But I do! Now keep quiet!" Goosekit obeyed his sister, stepping away from the camp wall. "Spark-kit, what if there are giant birds, to eat us, or dogs, or," he rambles on, Spark-kit interrupted him with a flick of her tail. "We'll be fine!" she snapped.

"Your gonna have to learn to sneak better than that if your trying to escape the camp." The kits spun around, scraping up dust from the ground, Firepaw, a new apprentice made a moon ago, was behind them. "eh-w-we were uh" Goosekit panicked, digging his paws into the dust, Spark-kit rolled her eyes. "We were just going to the dirtplace, and I know how to sneak." Spark-kit padded up to the apprentice, who was a mouse-length taller than her, his ginger pelt brightened by the moon. He looked down on her with his dark blue eyes, his tail tip flicking. "Tell you what, I take you out of camp, on a night patrol with my mentor, it would be more safe that way." Spark-kit smiled, this was a wonderful opertunity. She looked at Goosekit, he was bouncing in glee, acting like a kit. Spark-kit wanted to act suppieior around the apprentices. She nodded. "Get permisson from Sagetail, and we'll be good to go, unless you still want to go to the dirtplace." Firepaw pads away to find his mentor. Spark-kit gazed at the nersury, sighing. My mother. Goosekit dashed to the nursery, leaving Spark-kit in the dust.

"Sagetail! Sagetail! Wake up!" Goosekit was nudging their mother with his paw, trying not to wake up his brother Snowkit, his white pelt was glowing making it easy for Spark-kit to see. The nersery was musty and damp, just as always. Spark-kit cringes her nose at the new smell, she looks at the far end of the nersery to see Leaftail and her three kits, born three sunrises ago, but they already have names. A light gray tabby tom Grasskit, A dark grayish blue she-cat Bluekit, and a white and gray tortouise shell tom, Brightkit. "What? A night patrol? No way!" Spark-kit turned back to her brothers and mother. Sagetail was whispering, not to wake Snowkit. "Why not?!" Spark-kit pleaded, padding closer to their mother. "We are almost 6 moons, do you not trust us?" Sagetail flicked her tail. "I said no." her yellow eyes stern. "Yes, Sagetail." Spark-kit and Goosekit moaned, they left the camp. Firepaw galops over to them. "Ready?"Goosekit emerged the nursery this head down and tail dragging. "We can't go." he moaned. "No problem," Firepaw sighs, "Another moon and you'll see the whole territory." Spark-kit eyes the fresh-kill pile. Empty. "I should go on that patrol," Firepaw meows, following her gaze. "See yeah!" Firepaw runs over to his mentor, Blackstripe, leaving Spark-kit and Goosekit in his dust. 


	3. Chapter 2

The bright sun was creeping across the sky, casting shadows amongst the clearing. Two apprentices, unfamiliar to Spark-kit, were tussling in the warm morning mist in front of the apprentice den. One she-cat, with dark gray fur and silver flecks, was hissing playfully at a dark brown tabby she-cat. As Spark-kit watched intensely, from the entrance of the nursery, she noticed there was a simple pattern to their strikes. They took turns batting and ducking with the occasional leap trying to pin one another. Spark-kit cocked her head, wondering if it was like this in clan battles. I can't wait to be an apprentice. She thought, as a surge of excitement pulsed through her, from nose to tail tip.

A loud yawn sounded next to Spark-kit. Goosekit was stretching beside her, his thick gray pelt messy and clumped. Spark-kit's pelt was no better, her black-gray rugged pelt was sticking up in someplaces, and dust covered her paws. Goosekit shook his pelt, and plopped down next to her. "ThunderClan is awesome, isn't it?" he mewed sleepily, his eyes still heavy in sleep. "Yeah." Spark-kit agreed, her mind somewhere else. Who are they? Thinking of the two apprentices.

Her brother started talking, but Spark-kit refused to listen, thinking of clan battles and fighting along side her clan. "Spark-kit!?" Turning back to her brother, who staring at her with annoyance. "Were you even listening to me?" Spark-kit bumped her shoulder with his lovingly, "Of course not." she purred. Goosekit rolled his eyes. Spark-kit watched the leaves sway in boredom, counting every heartbeat go by.

Across the clearing, Firepaw and his mentor Blackstripe, Brambleheart, Rowanberry, were entering through the thorn tunnel and bringing up the rear, their father Sandjaw. Each of them carrying a small morsel of prey. Spark-kit's stomach started to rumble, she hasn't had a meal in a sunrise. "Come on!" Spark-kit stood up and took a long stretch that sent a shiver down her spine. "Let's go get something to eat." Spark-kit ran to the fresh-kill pile, dodging the warriors which crossed her path. Behind her, Goosekit stumbled over his paws, bumping into warriors drowsily, with nothing but a soft "Excuse me." Spark-kit suspected he was up to something the night before. Clearing her head, she pulled a stirling out of the pile, and sat next to the elders den. Goosekit plopped down next to her. She bit into it hungrily, struggling to swallow such a large bite. Goosekit took small slow bites.

"What, did you not sleep last night?" Spark-kit meowed, staring at her brother with quizzical eyes. Goosekit yawned, revealing sharp yellow teeth. "Snowkit woke up, at moon-high, we played a round of mossball when Sagetail wasn't looking, we stayed up all night." Spark-kit looked at the nursery sadly, their brother has been sick for some time, Duskfeather normally visits him once a day, worried about his sisters kit, but he had been busy with training his new apprentice, Pearlpaw. Spark-kit was envious as well, "Why didn't you wake me up too?" A golden flash caught Spark-kit's eye, looking closer, it was Lionstar upon the great rock at the far end of the camp, his pelt alight in the sun.

"Let cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting." his voice roared. Quickly gulping up the stirling, Spark-kit looked up to see Sandjaw a tail-length away. "It's time." he meowed quietly, pride shining in his eyes. _Already? Why didn't anyone tell us?!_ Sagetail emerged from the nursery, a well-groomed Snowkit followed. Sagetail looked at Spark-kit and Goosekit in astonishment. "How did you get so messy!" she dashed to Goosekit, licking ferociously. Sandjaw's eyes gleamed in amusement. Sagetail looked at him scornfully, "They're your kits too, you should help!" Spark-kit was worried that they were fighting, but a glimpse of amusement in her mother's eyes put her at ease. Sandjaw turned away to talk to Stormtail, the deputy.

Spark-kit looked at the great-rock at the far end of the camp, Lionstar's green eyes were scanning the crowd for the three distended to become apprentices. He stopped when he spotted them, causing the clan to follow his gaze. Embarrassment rushed through Spark-kit. When Sagetail turned to her to start groomed, she ducked away and headed for the great-rock, followed by her siblings. Excitement rose in Spark-kit's chest, blocking out the embarrassment, her paws aching to run, but she forced herself to pad along side both of her siblings on either side of her. They pushed through the warriors, who's flashing eyes were amused and proud.

Soon, they stood before the great-rock. The clan fell silent with the signal of the leader's tail. "I summon this meeting for that StarClan can look upon these three young cats, who have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed." Lionstar's proud meow was more loud than ever. Next to Spark-kit, Snowkit was trying to muffle a cough, his paws trembling in excitement, while on her left, Goosekit eyes were wide in nervousness, his previous tiredness gone, he's never been one for attention. Spark-kit held her head high and puffed out her chest, not wanting to look nervous or frightened. "Snowkit," Snowkit looked attentively at his leader, as he continued. "you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known Snowpaw. Your mentor will be Littlescar, I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you." In the crowd behind them, a small tom's eyes were wide in surprise, the long scar from his right eye to his left shoulder profound on his black pelt. Lionstar's gaze shifted to Littlescar, "Littlescar, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You had received excellent training from Sandjaw, and you have shown yourself to be kind and intelligent. You will be the mentor of Snowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Snowpaw left Spark-kit's side to touch noses with his new mentor.

Lionstar continued, appointing Goosekit of his apprentice name. "Your mentor will be Jaystep, I wish that she will pass down all she knows to you." A light gray she-cat with bright blue eyes emerged from the crowd, edging closer to her apprentice. "Jaystep, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received great training from Sagetail, and you have shown yourself to be patient and strong. You will be the mentor of Goosepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Goosepaw and Jaystep touched noses, joining Littlescar and Snowpaw among the clan.

Finally, Lionstar turned to Spark-kit, her paws trembling. "And Spark-kit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Sparkpaw." Sparkpaw's head was clear, despite of the burning question. _Who will be my mentor?_ "Swiftclaw," Lionstar gazed at the large black and white tom, his yellow eyes burning into the back of Sparkpaw's pelt. "you have received excellent training from Shadowfang, and have proven yourself, skillful and fierce, I hope you pass all you know onto Sparkpaw." Sparkpaw was unsure of her mentor, his eyes were sharp and peircing. He is known amonst the clans for killing Flowerpaw, a ShadowClan apprentice, during a dispute between borders. Sparkpaw and Swiftclaw touched noses, and her thoughts were lost in the cheers of her clanmates. "Snowpaw, Goosepaw, Sparkpaw!" Finally, six moons of waiting, imagining what it would be like to be an apprentice, for it to finally come. Sparkpaw could barely believe that is was happening. A dark meow whispered in her ear. "Shall we begin?" Swiftclaw was over her shoulder, towering above her. He was trying to threaten her, but she looked up at him with a stern face. "We shall."


End file.
